Craig Lynch picked up his first win as Seaham Red Star manager today with a 2-0 victory at Whitley Bay in the Northern League Division 1.

18-year-old Codie Howe put the visitors in front four minutes in and substitute Thomas Scott got the winner for the Star in added time.

Whitley Bay came into the game having lost their management team to North Shields, so reserve team manager Gavin Hattrick temporarily took charge of the Seahorses.

Seaham manager Lynch on the other hand made two changes to the side that lost 3-1 to Team Northumbria last week with Callum Munro and Andrew Johnston coming in for the injured Luke Gilhespy and Thomas Bramley.

The visitors made a brilliant start to the game and were in front within the first five minutes, with Howe heading home at the far post on the end of Aaron Croft’s excellent free kick.

Chances were few and far between for much of the first half, until Peter Glen-Ravenhill’s effort went just wide for the hosts in the 35th minute.

Seaham almost had a second six minutes later when Liam McBryde nodded into the box following a free kick shortly before Robbie Bird headed straight into the hands of the keeper from close range.

Whitley Bay came very close on the brink of half time when Thomas Potter’s excellent free kick from close range brought a great save from Jordan Harkess to his left.

Chances were irregular for much of the second half until the final ten minutes.

Bird worked really well on the left and put the ball in towards McBryde but his effort went just wide of the mark in the 80th minute.

Seven minutes later Lee Hetherington beat Whitley Bay’s right-back and keeper with a great run before his effort was cleared off the line.

Seaham capped off a great day for them two minutes into added time when substitute Scott got the ball in space and buried it into the bottom-left corner to seal the win.

Speaking after the game Seaham’s manager Craig Lynch said: “I’m absolutely delighted, I don’t think I can tell you how good it feels to be honest with you.

“We were absolutely outstanding, I’m absolutely over the moon for every single one of the lads in there. They gave us a proper shift today, and did exactly what we set out to do.”

Hartlepool United won for the first time since November with a 3-2 defeat over Woking in the National League at Victoria Park today.

Goals from Devante Rodney, Jake Cassidy and Rhys Oates put Pools 3-0 up at half time, and Woking got it back to 3-2 with late goals from Reece Grego-Cox and Jonathan Edwards but it was too late to complete their comeback.

Hartlepool started the game the better side, but it was Woking who had the first notable chance 13 minutes in as poor defending by Scott Harrison allowed Anthony Cook to go through on goal only for his close-range effort to be kept out by Scott Loach to the right.

Six minutes later, Pools were in front as Woking failed to clear away a cross and the ball fell to Rodney who smashed it home despite the keeper getting a touch to it on its way in.

In the 33rd minute Woking captain Richard Orlu nearly put the ball in his own net, and moments later Hartlepool doubled their lead after more poor defending from the visitors allowed Cassidy to turn past the defender and fire the ball into the top-right corner.

Ten minutes later, the hosts extended their lead when Luke George’s impressive ball forward was headed home by Oates, who beat the keeper to it.

The visitors nearly got a goal back on the brink of half time when Nathan Ralph’s free kick made it over the wall and was just kept out by Loach.

Woking came close again eight minutes into the second half when Grego-Cox headed just wide on the end of Charlie Carter’s cross.

At the other end almost immediately afterwards, Cassidy found himself through on goal and his shot was pushed over by keeper Nathan Baxter.

Five minutes from time, Woking got a goal back. Poor defending from Hartlepool meant that Grego-Cox fired home in a similar fashion to Rodney in the first half.

In the fourth minute of added time, the visitors got a second when Edwards headed home from close-range following a good free kick into the box.

It was too late for Woking to mount a comeback however, meaning Hartlepool fans went home happy for the first time in a while.

Northern League promotion contenders Consett continued a good run with a 4-0 win over Seaham Red Star at the Belle View Stadium today.

Goals from Jordan Lavery and Michael Sweet ensured that the hosts led 2-0 at half time, before goals from Michael Mackay and another from Sweet after the break ensured a comprehensive victory.

Consett came into the game in good form, having scored 10 goals in their last three games, all of which they got maximum points from.

Seaham on the other hand were yet to win in the league in 2018 and manager Chris McCabe made two changes to his side with Thomas Bramley and Bradley Staunch coming in for the suspended Callum Munro and the unavailable David Scorer.

The hosts started really well and made great advantage of the bounce from the ball on the artificial surface. Five minutes in, Sweet flicked the ball over Luke Gilhespy’s head and his effort went just wide.

Consett were in front six minutes later when the ball was once again flicked over a defender and the ball fell to Lavery who fired home from close range.

Seaham looked fairly good going forward, and came close in the 18th minute when Robbie Bird worked well on the left and he squared it to Liam McBryde but his effort went wide.

Chances were few and far between for much of the first half, but two minutes from time Consett doubled their lead when Lavery’s powerful shot was saved by Jordan Harkess and Sweet was on hand to net the rebound at the far post.

Consett started the second half really well and in the 55th minute Danny Cragg’s effort following a poorly defended corner was cleared off the line.

The hosts scored a third in the 62nd minute when Mackay made it past the defence with ease and curled it past Harkess in off the post in the bottom-right corner.

Fifteen minutes later they had a fourth goal when Sweet got the ball in space on the edge of the box and he buried it into the bottom-left corner.

Sweet, who has scored 35 goals this season now, nearly got his hat-trick two minutes later only for Harkess to make a great save from his close-range shot.

The result means Consett move up to 2nd position while Seaham remain 14th ahead of next week’s game at home to Team Northumbria.

Goals from Patrick McLaughlin and Richard Peniket in the second half put the game to bed, and Steve Watson’s side will travel to Leyton Orient in the next round.

It was the third time the two sides had clashed in the last 10 days, with the most recent game coming on Saturday where the sides drew 2-2 at Maidstone to trigger today’s replay.

Maidstone started well and had a golden opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 11th minute after Seth Nana Twumasi was brought down by keeper James Montgomery.

Loza stepped up, and his effort brought a great save from Montgomery to the left.

Four minutes later, Gateshead were in front when Byrne fired home at the far post following Wes York’s brilliant free kick into the box.

Maidstone came close in the 29th minute when Loza cut in on the left but his shot was pushed away by Montgomery.

Six minutes into the second half, Delano Sam-Yorke had a shot parried to the left from close-range for the visitors and Joe Anderson failed to put away the rebound.

Gateshead doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when McLaughlin found the ball in space and made a great run forward before burying it past Lee Worgan in the bottom-left corner.

Maidstone came close in the 85th minute when substitute Johan ter Horst’s close-range effort was saved shortly before Peniket at the other end got the ball and slotted the ball past Worgan to score the winning goal for the hosts.

Up next for Gateshead is AFC Fylde at home in the National League while Maidstone travel to Bromley on Saturday.

Seaham Red Star and Ryhope Colliery Welfare shared the points in an entertaining derby in the Northern League Division 1 at the Ferguson Motor Repairs Stadium today.

Alex Ramshaw put the hosts in front early on, before Lee Hetherington doubled Seaham’s lead in the 34th minute.

Ryhope hit back however with goals in quick succession from Josh Winship and Micky Rae just before half time.

Seaham manager Chris McCabe made one change from the side that lost 3-0 at Newcastle Benfield in midweek with Lee Chapman coming in for Thomas Price, while Ryhope came searching for their first league win since November.

The Star had a dream start to the game, as 18-year-old Ramshaw volleyed home at the far post on the end of Liam Hodgson’s cracking ball just 58 seconds into the game.

Just two minutes later, Seaham came very close when Ryhope failed to defend a corner and Andrew Johnston’s header hit the crossbar.

Ryhope looked good on the counter attack and came close in the 13th minute when Josh Home-Jackson was on the end of a good through ball but his effort was well saved by Jordan Harkess to the left.

The hosts doubled their lead however 20 minutes later when Hetherington buried the ball into the bottom right corner with Ryhope keeper Jonathon Ball getting a touch to it on its way in.

Ryhope got a goal back in the 36th minute when the Seaham defence switched off following a penalty shout, enabling Winship to smash the ball into the top-left corner.

The visitors then got an equaliser just three minutes later when Elliott Woods nodded on towards Rae who headed home from close range.

Ryhope made a brilliant start to the second half, and almost took the lead when Rae rounded keeper Harkess and his effort went just wide of the goal.

Seaham thought they’d regained the lead in the 63rd minute when Robbie Bird buried the ball home but he was adjudged to be offside by the linesman.

Twelve minutes later, Harkess denied Rae’s impressive free kick to his right and then Bird forced a good save from Ball to his left in the 84th minute after a good lay-off from Hetherington.

The result means that Seaham drop to 14th in the league table while Ryhope remain in 18th.

Speaking after the game, Seaham manager Chris McCabe said: “I thought we played really well. It’s probably the best we’ve played for a long time.

“I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t get the win if I’m honest, but it was a full-blood derby, it’s how a derby should be – with some good strong tackles going in by both sides.

“It was a good game for the neutral to watch. The main thing was not to get beat today and we didn’t, but we’ve got some tough games coming up.” The full interview can be found here.

Seaham face league leaders Morpeth Town next away from home on Wednesday, while Ryhope are at home to Ashington on Tuesday.

Newcastle Benfield had a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Seaham Red Star at Sam Smith’s Stadium in the Northern League last night.

Alex Nisbet opened the scoring in the 21st minute and was backed up with two goals from Jake Orrell before half time to seal the win.

Benfield came into the game sitting just below Seaham in the Northern League table in 14th, while Seaham manager Chris McCabe made two changes to his side from Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Shildon with Thomas Price and David Scorer coming in for Bradley Staunch and Lee Chapman respectively.

Benfield had the first chance of the game nine minutes in when Orrell’s powerful long range effort was pushed over by keeper Jordan Harkess.

The hosts took the lead 12 minutes later when Seaham failed to clear their lines following a corner, and the ball fell to Nisbet on the edge of the box who smashed the ball into the bottom-right of the goal.

The Lions then doubled their lead in the 27th minute when veteran forward Paul Brayson played a good ball through to Orrell, who buried the ball into the right hand corner after being one-on-one with Harkess.

Seaham came incredibly close seven minutes later when captain Robbie Bird found the ball in acres of space in front of goal but his shot somehow went wide.

The Star were punished again for their poor defending when Orrell beat Luke Gilhespy and fired the ball into the top corner to extend Benfield’s lead in the 40th minute.

Orrell almost had his hat-trick four minutes later when he was one-on-one with Harkess but his shot forced a good save from the keeper to his right.

Seaham improved after the break, but chances were few and far between. Their only real chance came in the 83rd minute when Price’s long range effort went just wide of the mark.

Following the game, Seaham manager Chris McCabe said: “We were sloppy again, which is really frustrating. We had some very tired legs out there today after playing on a heavy pitch on Saturday at Shildon but that doesn’t matter.

“You’ve just got to roll your sleeves up and try and grind out a result, and stop looking for excuses like who’s missing, who’s injured, the pitch, it’s freezing.

“It’s just all excuses, you’ve got to get on with it and at the minute, the players are not which is really starting to frustrate us.”